Sustainable Transformation of Consumer Behavior—Vector Modeling in Determining the Decision to Choose a Medical Service in the Context of COVID-19

Abstract

Consumer behavior has been a topic of interest since ancient times, from the point of view of both the socio-human sciences (psychology, sociology) and the economy; the consumer is seen as a producer of income. With the emergence and development of services in the economic sphere, the consumer has become the beneficiary of those services, with the same role of generating revenue and profits for suppliers. In the field of healthcare provision, the analysis of consumer behavior is a delicate subject because there are no standard behavioral models (not only due to the confidentiality of information that does not allow data to be obtained by researchers but also due to individual particularities regarding the need for health services). Moreover, in the context of COVID-19, the attitude of their beneficiaries toward health services has changed compared to what experts have recorded in the past, as pandemic restrictions and fear of the new virus have led to changes in behavior and people’s decisions regarding health services. For this study, quantitative research was conducted, complemented by a conceptual, behavioral model, on the satisfaction levels of health service beneficiaries in the context of COVID-19. In this research, numerous variables were analyzed regarding the protection measures implemented by medical institutions whose services have benefited from the perceived urgency. The research was conducted in Romania on a sample of 100 people from the southeast region, in order to observe to what extent the analyzed factors inform their decisions. According to government statistics, only 80% of Romania’s population uses medical services. Given the sample size, the PLS-SEM method of analysis was used, which, according to the recommendations identified in the literature, is the most appropriate technique for small samples due to the individual method of analyzing the links between variables, leading to significant results. Technological evolution and the digitization of some procedures within the medical services (such as making online appointments and online or telephone consultations) represents only one factor analyzed in the process of determining the satisfaction levels of the beneficiaries of health services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.